


Great Unknown

by Hmu2020



Series: Mother. [2]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, F/M, Mother-Son Relationship, New Lands, Nightmares, POV Astrid Hofferson, POV Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, POV Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon), POV Valka, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:07:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23163730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hmu2020/pseuds/Hmu2020
Summary: Sequel to 'On Your Own'Valka made a promise to not let Hiccup get hurt again.She'll follow through, by any means necessary.
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Valka, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson
Series: Mother. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1650658
Comments: 10
Kudos: 75





	1. Aftermath (Valka)

Valka didn't leave Hiccup's side until he was well enough to travel without his wound splitting open. He wasn't awake yet, but she wanted him away from Berserker Island, away from the Berkians and those who hurt him in the past. She wasn't going to let anything happen to him again. Toothless only left the hut to find food and to keep others out. The night fury seemed to share her sentiment about the Hooligans, she regularly heard him growl at people who tried to enter. It was unsettling to see the usually playful and upbeat dragon as cast down as he was.

Astrid was the only one he let through, she was beginning to like the shield-maiden, not only for the company she gave her but for her shared sentiments on the other Berkians and dragons. She didn't say much about it, but Valka could tell she was bitter towards the Vikings for their treatment of Hiccup. There were no apologies other than Astrid's given to Hiccup. Stoick had hardly spoken since he found out about Hiccup's identity, either from guilt or shame, Valka didn't know, she didn't care either. She wasn't very forgiving, not like Hiccup.

It was a few days before the healer gave her permission to move him back to the nest. She held him close for the entire journey there, not wanting him to get too cold and not wanting to let him go. Astrid found a blue Nadder who was willing to carry her, Toothless had grumbled unhappily because he had to be carried again. The king's brother had decided to come with them, as the only reason he wasn't attacked over the years was that no one knew of his existence and now the entire archipelago knew. It wasn't safe for him anymore. 

Hiccup shifted in her arms, causing her to look at him. "Mom?" he said groggily.

"Shh... Hiccup just rest."

He began to breathe harder. His eyes widened. "He stabbed me." He reached for the wound and winced when he touched it. "He laughed after. I thought I wasn't going to make it." She felt angry, the bastard had laughed while he tried to kill her son.

"You made it, Hiccup, now rest."

It was another hour before they reached the nest, Cloudjumper took them directly to their cave when they did. She put Hiccup into the assorted furs and wool that made up his "bed", Toothless quickly curled around him and made a canopy with his wings, shielding Hiccup from view. 

She wasn't sure if she'd be able to sleep, but she supposed she'd try. She went to her bedding and tried to fall asleep.

After a few hours of trying, she fell into a fitful sleep, it was hard to stop her thoughts from going haywire. There was just so much to handle. She was quickly woken by Hiccup yelling in his sleep. She ran to his side, Toothless nudging at Hiccup trying to wake him. She grabbed his sides and started to shake him gently, he was sweating and mumbling to himself.

Hiccup opened his eyes and she hugged him tightly. She could hear his breaths become shaky and she could tell he was crying. 

"What happened, Hiccup?" She asked, whatever it was she could tell it wasn't good.

"I-it was hi-him." She didn't need to ask who 'him' was. He took a few deep breaths. "It was like it was happening again and it all felt real, mom, so real." 

She almost broke down. "It's okay, Hiccup. I'm not going to let that happen again, _ever."_ She said with absolute determination. She continued to hold him close and Toothless curled around them both. They both fell asleep soon after.


	2. Stormfly (Astrid)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astrid names her dragon.  
> Hiccup tells her about his nightmares.

Astrid was spending time with the blue Nadder that flew her to the nest, she wanted to learn about the dragons of the nest and perhaps gain their trust eventually. It all had to start with one and she chose the friendliest one. She, at least Astrid thought it was a she, was quite playful, it shocked her at first, the Nadder acted like no others that she had seen before. Astrid supposed that was because she wasn't attacking the dragon with an ax. The best way to start building trust was by naming the dragon. It wasn't a light undertaking, she went through a few different names.

"What about... Spinetail?" The Nadder looked at her, spectacularly unimpressed. "Hey! This is hard!" It continued to stare. She sighed and leaned back, laying against the ground, looking up at the ice canopy. "Hmmm... What do you think of... Stormfly?"

The Nadder, now Stormfly, perked up at the name and crooned happily

"Well, I like it too." She grinned.

"Well, it's a nice name." She nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned around to see Hiccup smirking.

"Odin's beard, Hiccup! Don't sneak up on me like that!" 

"Somehow, I think you'll forgive me, milady." Gods, that again.

"Are you going to stop with the 'milady' shit?" She pleaded. He sat down next to her, chuckling.

"Nope." He said, not sorry in the slightest. She punched his shoulder and gave him a mock glare.

"Well then, _milord,_ two can play at that game!"

He laughed. "If you expect me to break you'll be very disappointed, milady"

She chuckled with him. "Gods, you can be a pain."

He gave her a shit-eating grin. "You still love me."

She couldn't help but smile. He was right, not that she'd admit it. She grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him.

She pulled back after a few seconds. "Don't push your luck, milord."

He smiled. She noticed the bags under his eyes at that moment, they weren't the worst she had seen, but it still meant he hadn't slept.

"Hiccup, when was the last time you slept?" She asked, concerned. His expression became haunted and sad.

"Couldn't sleep a lot of the time these past few days." He muttered.

She was worried, his mood had shifted so quickly, it must not be good. She grabbed his hand and squeezed slightly. "Why not? You can tell me." She reassured.

"Nightmares." He said quietly. Her heart sank. "It's always Drago and what happened on the beach, except it's not just me he stabs. Sometimes it's mom, other times it's you." His eyes were glassy.

She knew what he was talking about. She hadn't experienced it herself, but a few of the Berkian warriors went through it. Gothi called it something like 'Traumatic Stress'. It wasn't pleasant.

"Mom beats herself up about it too." He says. "She says that she failed me, but I know it's not true. I made my choice and I don't regret it, but she still says she could've done something."

She took a deep breath to stabilize herself. "You got hurt bad, Hiccup, I was terrified for you. I saw you go down on the beach and I couldn't do anything. I blame myself too." He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "I know that you're going to say it wasn't my fault, but that's not the point. The point is that no matter the choices we make, we're always going to look back and see some better outcomes, that's why your mother and I blame ourselves. She loves you, more than anything she has, it's plain to see, and she almost lost you. I love you and I had just figured that out and then I almost lost you."

"As for your nightmares, well you almost died. It's normal for something like that to happen. And it's going to get worse before it gets better, but you can't give up and say you won't get better." She told him. "It's easy to give up, it's hard to press on, but sometimes you have to, Hiccup, no matter what."

Hiccup embraced her. "I love you, Astrid. I have for a while." That warmed her heart.

"I know." She said, with a small smile on her face. He leaned in and kissed her again. When he pulled back she leaned her head against his shoulder, and they watched the dragons of the nest while the sunset.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III wouldn't give up, she could tell. 


	3. Dragonheart (Hiccup & Toothless)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toothless gets a visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toothless POV later in the chapter!  
> Italicized dialogue is "dragonese"  
> Enjoy!

Hiccup wasn't too pleased to be woken from the first good sleep he'd had in a week. Toothless suddenly woke up in the night and roared into the night sky, Hiccup wouldn't be surprised if he woke up half the nest. Cloudjumper didn't look happy either and Mom just looked confused. Toothless was standing just outside the mouth of the cave, staring into the inky sky. He seemed almost entranced by whatever he heard.

"What's wrong, bud?" Hiccup asked, rubbing his eyes. Toothless jerked around to face him and began to croon happily, it eased some of his anxiety knowing the night fury was happy.

Mom came up next to him. "What's happening?"

"Not sure, I think he heard something. He's happy, though, so whatever it was it couldn't have been bad." He answered.

She nodded. Toothless ran towards him and began to hit his tail against Hiccup's leg. It was Toothless's way to tell him to go flying. 

He looked to his mom. "He wants to go flying, mom."

"I'll go get Astrid and come with you." He opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off. "I'm not letting you leave in the middle of the night alone, Hiccup."

He gave a resigned sigh. She smiled slightly and walked off, coming back less than a minute later, Astrid and Stormfly behind her. 

Hiccup walked to Toothless and put his foot in the stirrup, clipping himself into the saddle. The night fury was very impatient and immediately took off, heading for the clouds. It took a moment for Hiccup's eyes to adjust to the darkness, even then he could hardly see.

He leaned down to Toothless's ear. "What d'you see, bud?" The night fury crooned happily again and gestured forward with his head. Hiccup squinted in front of them. It was hard for him to see anything. He glanced behind himself and saw his mom and Astrid flying behind him. 

A familiar scream made its way to his ears. He looked around wildly. _"He's not the only one..."_ He muttered. The screech was unmistakable, it had to be a night fury. A black shape leveled to his right, another night fury. He could hardly believe it. He couldn't make out the dragon other than the eyes, they were the same green as Toothless's eyes. Toothless warbled and the other night fury responded. Toothless turned to look at Hiccup expectantly.

Hiccup was still in shock, the night fury shook himself causing Hiccup to snap out of it. Hiccup grinned. "Lead the way, bud!"

The other night fury banked and Toothless followed. Hiccup got a better view of the night fury, in the light. It was a lot sleeker than Toothless, less frills, and ridges. It looked like a female to Hiccup. He yawned, this was probably going to be a long flight.

<Toothless>

* * *

* * *

He was so happy! His sister had found him after 5 cycles! He hadn't had much hope of seeing his old pack again after snapping out of the control of the Queen, though he did meet his human brother, he always missed his family. 

_"Sól, where have you been?! Mother has been worried out of her mind, we all thought you were dead!"_ She roared at him. 

_"I'm sorry Stjarna, I flew too far away from our nest and got pulled under the control of a Queen."_ He replied.

_"How does that explain the human on your back?! They are bloodthirsty creatures!"_ She hissed.

He growled at her. _"Do not speak of him that way! He is my brother!"_

She looked at him, her eyes wide in shock. _"You chose him as your brother? A human?"_

_"He is a dragon in the wrong body, Stjarna. A Dragonheart, like the legends, said."_ He explained. He could feel Hiccup lean back on his back, he must be sleeping.

_"And the others? The Four-wings' and Spiketail's riders?"_ She asked, glancing at the two dragons flying behind them.

_"His mother and mate."_ He explained. _"His mother has been living in that nest for 18 years, sister."_

_"How did he come to be your brother?"_ Stjarna asked.

_"He's been the only one with me these last 3 years, no matter what."_ Hiccup stirred on his back, the sun was rising. _"He can even fly on his own, Stjarna!"_

She looked at him like he was a fool. _"You're pushing the bounds of my trust in you, brother."_

He glared at her. _"I'm serious!"_

Stjarna rolled her eyes. _"Sure, the human can fly."_

He huffed. He shook, getting Hiccup's attention. "Yeah, bud?"

He shook again. "Do you want me to glide? You hate it when I do that!"

Sól nodded. _"I'll prove it."_

"Here we go!" Hiccup leaned to the side and fell off his back.

Sól dove after him and they both snapped their wings out, gliding side by side. Sól grinned at his sister's shocked expression.

His brother was a Dragonheart. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A 'cycle' is a cycle of seasons or a year.
> 
> 'Sól' means sun in Icelandic and is Toothless's true name.
> 
> 'Stjarna' means star and is Toothless's sister's name.
> 
> Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Family (Hiccup & Toothless)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating sooner. Writer's block is a bitch.  
> Enjoy!

Toothless seemed to be talking to the other night fury. It was sort of frustrating to not know what the two dragons were saying, Hiccup guessed it was about him after Toothless asked him to glide. It was even more frustrating to not know where the other night fury was leading them. The whole situation seemed like a way to make Hiccup frustrated, but he trusted Toothless.

It wasn't until noon that the group finally saw land again. The island was vast, far larger than any Hiccup had seen before, and the coast was lined with mountains capped with glaciers. The mountains blocked their view of the land itself, even at the height they were flying at, but when they passed over the range, it was beautiful. The island was almost entirely a lake with water an odd shade of teal. It was nothing like Hiccup had seen before. If he had to guess they were the first people to see the island, on account of how far it was from anywhere else and, maybe, the pack of Night Furies that were coming to greet them.

"I'm not sure we can convince them with a little gliding, bud." Toothless looked at him unamused, before 'speaking' to the other dragons. Hiccup looked back at his mother and Astrid, both were looking around, at the island and the night furies, in awe. He shared their sentiments completely. Toothless wasn't the only Night Fury, after a full year of him searching he had given up hope, but here they are, on an island hundreds of miles from the archipelago. He couldn't wait to explore every inch of it. 

Toothless shook again. Hiccup sighed. "You're kidding me." The dragon laughed. "You're not, that's just perfect." He said, with a sarcastic tone. 

Hiccup sighed again and unclipped the karabiner that kept him on the saddle. He enjoyed gliding, sure, but he was very tired at the moment. He jumped up into a crouch, gave a little wave to the night furies staring at him, and leaped. He snapped his wings out and flew. He flipped upsidedown to look up at the pack of dragons following him, all looking at him in shock, with the smallest bit of admiration. Toothless quickly came below him and Hiccup dropped onto his back.

His mom leveled next to him. "Well, looks like you're having fun." He gave her mock glare, she laughed, as did Toothless.

"Traitor." He said under his breath. "Well, if I had to guess we're the first people to see this place without being burnt to a crisp, so yeah I suppose I am happy."

She looked genuinely happy. "Well, I'm glad, I'll help you map it if you want."

He smiled. "I'd like that." He felt happy for the first time in a few months. He almost forgot what it felt like.

Astrid flew up to his other side. She looked exasperated. "Warn me next time you decide to jump off Toothless, please!"

He grinned at her but said nothing. 

-Toothless-

* * *

It was hard for Sól not to be nervous. He hadn't seen his mother or father in many years and he wasn't sure how his father would react to Hiccup. The meeting could go well or terribly, it was 50/50. He had already shown the guards that Hiccup was different but convincing his father was an entirely different story, he loved him but he was very stubborn. 

One of the guards flew next to him. _"How did you find the Dragonheart, Sól?"_

_"It's a long story."_ He huffed. It was a long story, how was he going to explain it without the pack trying to incinerate his brother?

Stjarna lead them to a clearing in the trees, he remembered the place vividly. It was where they played when they were still hatchlings. The island had hardly changed in all of his time away. It made him sad if he was being honest with himself, he'd left it behind even if it wasn't by choice, it was difficult not to feel guilty, but he wouldn't have met his brother if he hadn't left. He wouldn't trade Hiccup for anything.

The group moved towards the cave close to the shore. Hiccup got off his back to walk the rest of the way. His brother removed the helmet made from Sól's scales and walked next to him. Stjarna walked on his other side wanting to be near Sól after years apart and wanting to meet her new human 'brother' properly.

Hiccup looked towards her. "Hey girl, what is it?" He asked softly. 

She crooned. _"To meet you... I suppose you can't understand me though."_

"To be honest when I first saw you I was so happy, I had thought that Toothless was the Last Night Fury." He said quietly, Sól was listening intently, Hiccup had been trying to reunite him with his family all along! "I had spent a full year looking and found nothing, I had almost given up." 

Stjarna looked at Sól, with her eyes dilating even farther. If she wasn't convinced before she was now. _"He was trying to bring you back this entire time."_

Hiccup held out his hand towards Stjarna, she looked at him for a moment before she lunged at him, grabbing him with her forearms and hugging him tightly. 

_"Thank you, brother."_ Sól's heart skipped a beat as she said that. His sister had accepted Hiccup as their brother.

They were family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The island is largely based on Abraham Lake, Alberta, and its surrounding area.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Reunions and Meetings (Toothless)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup meets Toothless's family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter. Sorry for not updating.
> 
> I promise I'll update in the next few days.

Sól had a lot to explain. 

His father was glaring at Hiccup and himself, it eventually made his brother uncomfortable. Hiccup turned to him. "It doesn't look like he wants me here, bud. I'm going to go wait outside with my mom." He turned and walked out the mouth of the cave, Stjarna looked at him and he nodded, giving her permission to follow him. Sól turned back to his father.

His father huffed angrily. _"Explain. Now."_

Sól rolled his eyes. _"Which part? Where I've been or Hiccup?"_

_"The human first."_

_"Well, he saved me"_ He lifted his tail and showed it to his dad. _"He wasn't well-liked among his kind, more than once he came to me bloody and beaten from his kind."_ His dad's face softened slightly. _"His father wanted him to be like most other humans, savage and brutal, and to kill our kind, but he never could. One night he came to me and told me he wanted to leave."_ Sól paused for a moment. _"He has been through much, all of it to protect others, human or dragon. Not even two months ago, he was stabbed through the chest protecting his mother."_

He could see it on his father's face, Hiccup certainly wasn't what he expected. _"Where have you been?"_ Sól could've guessed he would change the subject. His father wasn't one for admitting mistakes.

_"I strayed too far from home and got ensnared by a queen. She was and still is forcing others to raid human villages to feed herself. I was under her control for a year and I only broke free because I was shot down. I've been with Hiccup for 2 years, we've been everywhere. He kept a 'map', I think he called it of all the different islands we've been to."_

His father sighed. _"I suppose he can stay, his family too, but they can't sleep in the cave until your mother gives her approval."_

Sól looked sad, all of a sudden. _"I'd be surprised if he sleeps at all."_ His father looked confused. _"After he got stabbed he began to have nightmares of it, sometimes even while he's awake."_ He explained

_"Must be difficult."_

Sól nodded and turned to walk out of the cave, he wanted to be with his sister and brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. Hiking & Drawing (Hiccup & Valka)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Toothless speaks to his father, Hiccup and Stjarna go for a walk.  
> Hiccup makes breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy chapter. 1300 words! Probably the longest chapter I've written ever!  
> Sorry for the very long wait, I've been working with my dad for his company during the quarantine, it leaves very little time for writing.

The shock was still wearing off. Not only was Toothless not the only Night Fury left but there was an entirely new land to explore and map. It was distracting and for that, Hiccup was extraordinarily grateful. As much as he loved the nest doing very little all-day didn't help his mental state if anything, it made his nightmares worse, more vivid and painful. Every night he woke up to his scar burning like it was just made and drenched in sweat, recently it started happening while he was awake, he hadn't told his mom about those yet. If Hiccup was being honest with himself he probably should, but it seemed like his mom had enough to deal with, just with the ones that happened at night.

The female Night Fury nudged him slightly breaking his train of thought. "Y'know girl, you could use a name." She crooned softly. "Was that agreement? I can't tell. Anyways what do you think of... Midnight?" 

The Night Fury huffed and turned away. "Alright, not Midnight." He thought for a few moments. "What about... Sunspot?" She crooned softly again and pressed closer to him. "I suppose that's a yes."

Hiccup picked one of the many trails around them and began to follow it, being closely followed by the newly named Sunspot, it was a winding trail and eventually, Hiccup was forced to perform switchbacks to make it up the steep incline. The forest eventually opened to a cliff that was overlooking the glacial lake at the center of the island. It would've been easier to ask Sunspot or Mom or Astrid, to fly him up to the top, but before he met Toothless he loved hiking all of the trails around Berk, mostly to get away from the ridicule of the village, but also because finally summiting a mountain was feeling that was only topped by flying with Toothless, back then it gave him a sense of accomplishment that he never got in the village.

He opened the pocket at the front of his suit and took out his journal, then lowered himself to the ground, leaning against a boulder near the edge of the cliff. Sunspot curled herself around him and looked at the tanned leather book with curiosity. He began to draw the view around him as best as he could, he hoped he could convince his mom to go back to the Northern Market someday so he could refill his dyes. Hiccup turned to Sunspot and showed her the drawing.

"What do you think?" She tilted her head and peered closely at the paper, then back at him and gave the same smile that Toothless always did. He chuckled softly and pressed himself closer to her. The landscape almost looked like a painting, the sun hitting the face of the mountains made them look golden and the light reflecting off the light blue water. He wasn't sure how long he sat therewith Sunspot watching the clouds shift, but eventually, he saw his mom, Astrid, and Toothless flying up to the two of them. He saw Toothless crack the biggest smile when the black dragon saw the two of them sitting together. His mom and Astrid looked happy as well. 

"You two are getting close," Astrid commented. 

His mom turned to look at the mountains around them. "It's beautiful here, Hiccup."

He smiled at the two of them and stroked Toothless's head as he got closer. "The hike up was nice too, there were hot springs about halfway up the mountain, I'm probably going to head back there later, might even set up camp close to them."

Astrid looked bewildered for a moment. "Wait, you walked up here?! I thought you flew up here on the female-"

"I named her Sunspot, and yeah, I always loved hiking the trails back on Berk, it's where I was when I wasn't inventing." He explained. 

Astrid frowned slightly, still slightly confused. "I never knew, I don't understand why though?"

Hiccup gave a half-smile. "Well, it was mostly to get away from the village for a while." His mom frowned, he imagined she wouldn't like that part. "But also because there's almost nothing like getting to the summiting a mountain, the feeling is amazing. It's almost as good as flying."

His mom sat down next to him and Astrid sat on the other side. He opened his journal again and began to sketch the five of them together. Sunspot put her head in between Astrid and himself and began to watch him drawing again. She seemed to enjoy his drawings for whatever reason, though he soon realized that the dragon wasn't the only one watching him draw.

"Do you guys like it?" He asked sheepishly, his mom and Astrid were both looking over his shoulder, Astrid was smiling softly, his mom's eyes were glistening but she was still grinning and before he knew what had happened his mom hugged him tightly. 

"It's beautiful, Hiccup," She said genuinely. Astrid leaned over Sunspot and kissed his cheek. Toothless and Sunspot warbled happily.

His heart felt full, for the first time since he found his mother nearly a year ago. It was a feeling he never wanted to lose. He wrote 'Family' in the corner of the page.

-Valka-

* * *

Valka looked down at the drawing Hiccup had made a few hours ago. He had let her borrow his journal so she could look at the drawings within. There were a lot, many of them were of himself and her, but the last one he had made was her favourite, perhaps only because of the inscription.

She looked up from the book at the campsite they had chosen, just as Hiccup had said there were hot springs nearly halfway down the mountain, and she saw Hiccup sitting on the ground in front of the fire, with Astrid next to him making small braids in his hair. He looked happier than he had in the past month, and she couldn't be any more delighted. His nightmares had truly been taking a toll on him, but things were finally looking up. The sibling Night Furies were play wrestling around the perimeter, likely catching up after all of their years apart. 

The teen couple reminded her of herself and Stoick back in the day, it made her feel lonely for a moment before loneliness turned to anger. At the way, her old husband left their son to be bullied for years by the same people who should've protected him. Still, Valka shouldn't let her anger fester, no matter how justified. 

Astrid leaned closer into Hiccup after she was done braiding his hair. Valka approached and set Hiccup's journal on his bag and sat down next to Cloudjumper, who was sleeping nearby. She sat there for a long while, just thinking while staring up at the stars.

And for the first time in a while, the night was quiet. Only the sounds of the fire and the forest were heard.

* * *

Valka woke to the smell of cooking fish, she tapped Cloudjumper, who during the night folded his wings over her forming a tent, the owl-like dragon unfolded his wings groggily before going back to sleep. She saw Hiccup seated on a small rock next to the fire with a small smile on his face. A small metal sheet was set on the fire, while fish was set on top of the sheet cooking it. 

Just from the look of the fish, Hiccup was a fine cook. He tilted his head up and gave a small smile before motioning her over.

"Well? What do you think of the fish? It's a recipe that I've used when I was on my own." 

"It looks wonderful, you're a far better cook than I am." She chuckled softly. "Where's Astrid?"

"She went to the Hot Springs, I decided to make breakfast while I wait for my turn." He explained, a slight blush creeping up his neck.

Valka smirked. "So no grandchildren yet?"

Hiccup choked on air. "MOM!" She laughed loudly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think?  
> Leave any questions or critique in the comments!  
> Thanks for Reading!


	7. Hope for the future (Astrid & Hiccup)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccstrid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fluffy chapter again. 1235 words this time, I'm trying to make the chapters longer.

Hiccup shifted next to her and began to sit up, letting a draft of cold air hit her. Astrid groaned and pulled Hiccup back down.

"It's cold." She mumbled. She looked out of the flap of the canvas tent that Hiccup had packed on Toothless's saddle, she could hardly make out the outlines of the trees. 

He chuckled softly. "It's time for me to wake up."

"The sun hasn't even risen, Hiccup." She spoke softly, then she began to smirk. "And besides you make a wonderful blanket."

"I don't think you can keep me here forever, M'lady."

"Wanna bet?" She was grinning mischievously.

He laughed again. "Rather not test you, besides, I suppose there are worse ways to be held prisoner." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead

Astrid hummed, content. She raised a hand to Hiccup's cheek and let her fingers ghost along his jaw. "Are you growing a beard?" 

"Maybe. I think I would look good with a beard." He yawned.

"You would." She nestled closer to him and tucked her head in the hollow of his throat. She could feel him smile.

"I knew it."

She was content with staying in the tent until noon. She closed her eyes again and let herself drift back to sleep.

* * *

When Astrid opened her eyes again, the sun was shining through the fabric of the tent. She looked towards the opening, the sun was filtered through the branches of the pine trees bouncing off the dew that accumulated overnight, shimmering brilliantly. 

Hiccup shifted next to her. His voice was rough from sleep when he spoke. "Come on, I gotta go make breakfast for us before mom wakes up."

"Alright." She said still reluctant to leave the tent. "I can't believe you wanted to get up earlier. I don't even think it could've classified as the morning."

"It's not my fault that Toothless insisted on getting up early, it's just habit."

"Well, it's a habit I look forward to breaking." She stretched her back. "Seriously you would have run into a few trees, it was pitch black outside."

He huffed. "I've got good eyes."

"Sure..."

She looked around the campground, the fire that Stormfly had started the night before had mostly died, leaving a few cinders still smouldering in ashes. It wouldn't be difficult to start again. She walked towards the small clearing on the other side of the camp that overlooked the valley below them. The sun was peaking over the eastern mountains, colouring the western range a deep orange. The valley was still mostly dark, looking more like blue and green splotches, rather than trees, fields, and a lake. She turned back towards the camp. Hiccup was digging around in Toothless's saddlebags, he pulled out a small metal sheet and a neat bundle. He set both next to the firepit and got to work relighting it. 

Stormfly rushed her, knocking her off balance. The Deadly Nadder had a stick in her mouth and dropped it at Astrid's feet. The first throw went to a second and so on, Stormfly never seemed to grow sick of the game.

She glanced back at Hiccup. "What're you making this fine morning, babe?"

"I'm making-" He blew on the cinders, trying to stoke a fire. "-salmon with a few different herbs." He was a far better cook than she was, though she could make a killer yaknog. "It won't be ready for a while, why don't head down to the springs? It'll be done when you get back."

* * *

Valka's laughter echoed through the forest. 

"MOM!" Hiccup's voice sounded either angry or embarrassed, it was hard to tell the difference between the two, it did make her curious though. She walked up behind Valka.

"What happened?" Hiccup opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Valka.

"We were just discussing the progress on grandchildren." Astrid flushed and looked at the ground, Valka's laughter only intensified and she opened her mouth to respond but was thankfully cut off by Hiccup.

"Well, the fish is done." He was still blushing furiously.

Toothless and Sunspot began to stir at the word fish, the two had curled up together near the trail leading away from camp. Toothless marched directly to Hiccup and began to make pleading noises, Sunspot quickly followed his lead, mimicking her brother perfectly. The two were the perfect duo.

Hiccup groaned. "Not you too Sunspot. You two don't even like cooked fish!" Toothless laughed. Hiccup pointed to the two Night Furies. "You two are going to be the death of me, you know that?" Toothless laughed harder, though now Sunspot joined in. Hiccup rolled his eyes and pulled off a sizeable chunk and threw it to the siblings, who immediately spat it out, then laughed more. "You're lucky I love you two." 

Astrid laughed at the exchange. "Did Toothless do this often?"

The dragon gave a mischievous smirk and laughed evilly.

-Hiccup-

* * *

Hiccup was sitting against a boulder in the clearing, sketching the camp. 

"Drawing again?" Astrid was standing behind him a small smile on his face.

"Of course, you know me." He responded

"I'm surprised Sunspot isn't here, she seems to enjoy watching you draw."

"She went off fishing with Toothless."

She hummed in acknowledgement. "I've been thinking."

"And what have you been thinking about, M'lady?" 

"Having kids. Your mom's joke made me think about it." His heart skipped a beat, not just for the fact that Astrid Hofferson wanted to have kids _with him_ , but also because he wasn't sure if he wanted kids. He must've shown it. "Do you want them?" Her tone was slightly fearful.

He was quiet for a moment. "I-I don't know, Astrid. I don't know if I'm cut out for kids of my own." 

She turned away slightly. "Why not?"

He sighed and thought about it for a while. "My dad wasn't the greatest parent. He was never really there for me, and that's not good for a child, to not have their parent there." He paused. "I think... I'm afraid, that I might turn out to be a parent like my dad. Not to mention that I don't think my head is well enough yet."

She shook her head. "I think you'd be a great father and... maybe we don't have to try for a while, all this travel wouldn't be a good life for a baby, but I want them."

"I never really thought about having kids of my own. I didn't think anyone would want to have kids with me, either on Berk because..." He shook his head and didn't finish the thought. "Or because of the whole living with dragons thing."

"I love _you_ , Hiccup, no one else. You're kind, supportive, and so so smart, and I'm sorry for not realizing it back when we were kids."

"It's okay, Astrid." He smiled softly and took her hand. "Maybe we can hope for the future."

"Yeah." 

A howl echoed through the valley.

Toothless landed next to them, panting heavily, and motioned for him to get on.

"What's going on, bud?" He leapt into the saddle and turned to Astrid. " I'll be right back."

She nodded and the two took off, heading towards the eastern side of the island. They were quickly joined by Sunspot and a few other Night Furies. As he looked out to the ocean, his heart stopped.

It was a ship.

A _Berkian_ ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A cliffhanger!  
> Thanks for reading!  
> If you have any questions or criticism don't hesitate to leave them in the comments!


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